Microsoft and QUE enter exclusive publisher distribution agreement; Microsoft Home CD Sampler product to ship with The Complete Idiot's Guide titles

Business Wire, Dec 4, 1995

INDIANAPOLIS and REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 1995-- QUE, a division of Macmillan Computer Publishing USA (MCP), the world's largest computer book publisher, has been given exclusive book publisher distribution rights for Microsoft's multimedia catalog on CD-ROM, the Microsoft Home CD Sampler.

QUE will begin including the Microsoft(R) product in titles this month, beginning with The Complete Idiot's Guide to Windows 95, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Microsoft Office for Windows 95, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Word for Windows 95, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Excel for Windows 95, and The Complete Idiot's Guide to The Microsoft Network. This multimedia product gives demonstrations and detailed product information, such as system requirements, on more than 70 of the latest Microsoft Home products.

The CD-ROM included with The Complete Idiot's Guide titles will be customized with a trial version of Microsoft Fury 3, featuring eight exciting missions; a playable version of the classic arcade game, Asteroids; eight free Microsoft games; a demonstration version of Creative Writer; and a Microsoft Windows 95 screen saver.

"This is a great opportunity to let computer users sample the entire line of Microsoft Home products, from the trial version of the Fury 3, to forum shortcuts on The Microsoft Network," said Marty Taucher, group marketing manager from Microsoft. "Now, as consumers learn from QUE's quality reference books, they can also learn about Microsoft products that let them get the most out of their home computing experience."

"This exciting arrangement with Microsoft provides real additional value for our customers who purchase these Complete Idiot's Guide titles," said Roland Elgey, president and publisher of QUE. "The Microsoft Home CD Sampler product is top of the line, and the enhancements we are providing in our exclusive product makes the book and multimedia catalog from Microsoft a winning combination."

The Complete Idiot's Guide series, which features a lighthearted style that makes learning easy, was first introduced in 1993 with The Complete Idiot's Guide to PCs. The series now contains over 60 titles and has more than 3 million copies in print.

QUE is an imprint of Macmillan Computer Publishing USA, which includes Sams Publishing, Sams.net, New Riders, Hayden Books, BradyGAMES, and QUE Education and Training, and a software division, QUE Software. MCP is a division of Macmillan Publishing USA, a division of Simon & Schuster, the publishing operation of Viacom Inc.

Simon & Schuster is a leader in multimedia, consumer, education, business, reference and international publishing. With operations in 43 countries, its imprints include Simon & Schuster, Simon & Schuster Interactive, Macmillan Publishing USA, Pocket Books, Scribner, The Free Press, Prentice Hall, Silver Burdett Ginn, Allyn and Bacon, Computer Curriculum Corporation, and Educational Management Group. -0-

Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

For the latest news and information about QUE, visit our Web site at http://www.mcp.com/que/new_users.>NOTE TO EDITORS: There is a double slash after "http:" above, and an at sign after "pcarroll" below. Those symbols may not appear properly in some systems.

CONTACT: Macmillan Computer Publishing USA

Patricia Carroll, 317/581-3743

pcarroll@mcp.com OR 75141,2102